NEWBERG ROTARIANS: doing good around the world

Many of the projects and programs put on or funded by local Newberg Rotary Clubs are well known and can be seen around town in public spaces, parks, schools, etc.  But one lesser known, wider-reaching Rotary program that has been going strong for over 50 years is known as Rota-Dent.  This program exists through a long-standing partnership between Newberg Rotary Clubs and A-dec.

The Rota-Dent project was started in the 1966-1967 Rotary year by Rotarian Ken Austin Jr., founder of A-dec, one of the largest dental equipment manufacturers in the world. While he was visiting a dental dealer in Portland, someone recognized Ken’s Rotary pin. This person had some old dental equipment that he wanted to donate and thought a service club like Rotary would be able to make good use of it. Ken thought it would be a good idea to repair the old equipment and send it to a country like South Africa where it could be used.

However, while discussing this idea with other Rotarians he quickly realized that once in a foreign country, dentists would not be able to get parts for ongoing repair of the old equipment. Fortunately, Ken had products he could not sell such as samples and returns. Since these pieces were newer they could be donated and used for years to come. Once the company ran out of these items, a new portable unit was designed by Ken. Known as the Rota-Dent, these units were air-operated, had a self contained water supply, and could receive waste.

They were sent throughout the world and helped make the Newberg Rotary Clubs unique. The program has been featured in The Rotarian, Rotary International’s Magazine, and clubs and communities all over the world still use the dental units. 

The mission statement of this program explains that the goal is to provide dental equipment to other Rotary and service organizations throughout the world so that people who would not normally have access to dental care are able to receive this important health benefit. The fulfillment of this statement can clearly be seen in countries like Guatemala, where Newberg Noon Rotary’s continued efforts have helped improve the dental health of the people there.

Not only is this program a wonderful benefit to communities throughout the world, but it has also been helpful for building a sense of community within the Newberg clubs. When the program really started picking up, A-dec would host assembly parties for the club. Rotarians and their families would be able to help construct dental units which were then sold. For every ten units sold, the club was able to donate one at no cost. These assembly parties were eventually discontinued but proved to be a great opportunity for fellowship while they lasted.  

Today the Rota-Dent program is overseen by a board of seven directors made up of three members from each of the two Newberg Rotary Clubs and an A-dec liaison. Together with its Rotary volunteers, the Board administers the Rota-Dent program and coordinates the distributions of the Rota-dent units throughout the world as well as generates revenue which is distributed to the 501(c)(3) Foundations of both the Newberg Early Birds Rotary Club and the Newberg Noon Rotary Club.  Thanks to the ingenuity and incredible generosity of the late Ken Austin Jr. and of Adec, this program has generated millions of dollars over the years which have been used throughout our local community here in Newberg.

 A separate but related product, a portable dental chair, was later designed and launched by Ken Austin Jr. in 2010, known as the TotaChair. This lightweight, collapsible, but sturdy chair has been used around the world by Rotarians and other non-profits to help provide dental services to remote international communities in desperate need of dental care.

To learn more about Rota-Dent, visit the Rota-Dent website at rota-dent.org.

To learn more about the TotaChair, visit the TotaChair website at totachair.com/